Merckx MX Leader Pista (finished)

Hubs are going to be a bit like buses in this project...none for ages then four at once (almost). As mentioned above i've held my nose and taken the plunge with a set of dura-ace (see picture)
I have to say they are exquisite and it almost seems like sacrilege to put them on a bike.

I have also arranged a swap of some road wheels for some 24h suntour hubs with @adman as i really want to build a set of my own wheels. Pictures to follow when I get those.

I'm thinking open pro for the dura ace (32/36 drillings) but am open to suggestions for the Suntours.

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I would go for Japanese rims with the DA hubs - Araya Rc-540 look very nice

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Oooh Bob! They look lovely. Time to hit the Google search.

Did a bit of research on the Araya rims as suggested by @SideshowBob yes they are absolutely lovely but cost top dorrah. Short of selling a kidney I can't finance it. However, it has prompted me to up my game a bit so I thought about some Hplus son AW17 archetypes...any thoughts anyone?

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What about the Hydras?

Interesting question. I think the extra width and tubeless compatibility don't tick any boxes for me

Get the H Plus Son TB14s.

It's a close call Tijs. TBH it would be nice to see them both in the flesh to compare but on a rock in the middle of the Irish Sea that ain't gonna happen

Or buy my da hf to archetype black rim silver spokes

Nice offer Alpha but I'm going old skool silver on this wheelset

i'd go for mavic ma2 if you can find some. they're usually quite cheap even nos and they have the right box-section profile for the bike / the hubs.

edit: Hilary Stone has some good stuff at the moment (including MA2's). He also has a pair of the original Rigida DP18s with the yellow and pink labels that might look good with this frame.

Good suggestion Gaz but again just a bit cost prohibitive at the moment.

(Wave) Classic

You can buy the full bike

Campag 28h both to tb14

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That's sweet. Might take a bit of smuggling post the other half though! What frame size is it? #askingforafriend

Mbk 56cm

Rims.. old school Mavic Pista or Reflex, Ambrosio F20, Araya 16B Gold, etc.. and same from Fiamme, Super Champion, Nisi.. there is still a lot of NOS about.. or just used track wheels since so many have gone over to the dark side with boutique wheels..

Good point, I do have an iron in the fire for some old track wheels but in the meantime...

...in the meantime i've started volunteering at my lbs on Saturdays. The upshot is I can order stuff at a reduced price. So i've ordered one of these...

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Also i've found a couple of NOS Mavic open pro rims lurking in the attic of the shop. They're black as opposed to silver but i can overlook that bearing in mind the saving i'm making. So i've gone full tilt, all in, to learn to build wheels. I have to say i'm shitting myself but wheelbuilding along with learning French snd the front crawl remain life targets. Build pictures to follow when the stand arrives

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I pulled together the constituent parts for my first wheel build this week. My LBS has been very helpful in pointing me in the right direction. Everything was assembled in readiness...

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A couple of hours later with one eye on the Euro track racing i'd managed to lace up a wheel...

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One issue writhe TS2.2 is that despite being quite expensive it doesn't come with a stand. That's an issue if like me you don't have a bench...

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Stands are somewhere between £30 and £40 which is a bit annoying. In the interim my advice is don't throw away the packaging the stand comes in...

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So truing and tensioning to do. As always any hints or tips welcome.

Damn what a nice frame
full DA all the way man :)

1998 frame right ?